"Our position is we respect China's position and we encourage what it is already doing because China is evolving also," Philippine Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho, chairman of the ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting, told reporters.

Asked about the differences in views between Southeast Asia and its Northeast Asian neighbors over the value of the yuan, Camacho said: "It is the Western countries that are creating the impression."

The value of the yuan Thursday was among the topics raised at the two-day meeting which opened in Manila on Wednesday, although it was not on the official agenda, sources said.

The yuan issue is also expected to be raised at a separate meeting Thursday between the ASEAN ministers and their counterparts from Japan, China and South Korea under the "ASEAN plus three" dialogue format.

Japanese Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said on the sidelines of the meeting that he would raise the issue. South Korea has also expressed concern over this problem.

Earlier, The United States and Europe have also expressed concern over the value of the yuan.

The Chinese currency is now fixed at a rate of about 8.3 to the US dollar.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2003)